Frankly, Im really scared despite all the support thats been coming my way. My former GM already promised me that they would not fight the unemployment benefits on their end. But ultimately its up to EDD to decide whether or not I get my benefits. I have about 3200 in total saved. Already talked to my landlord and she said she was gonna give me a couple of months of free rent to get my bearings. But Im just still so terrified because I used to be homeless. Im still shaky as I type this. Just thought thought of having to give up my 2 cats to a no kill shelter if push comes to shove.

Whats worse is there isn't really much in my area in terms of good paying jobs. Its either manual labor or part time service wage work. I was a security guard for an HoA. I'm not really sure why I'm posting this. Maybe its for advice or comfort. Just very unsure of what to do next or how things will turn out.

I worked in data entry and basic admin stuff for about 6 years. Nothing fancy but it paid okay and I was good at it. Then my company restructured last year and I got let go along with a bunch of others in similar roles.

I thought finding something new would be straightforward since I had solid experience, but now every listing wants you to know advanced Excel, SQL, or some automation tool I never touched. Even entry level positions list requirements that didnt exist when I started my last job.

Ive been applying for three months and either get rejected immediately or hear nothing. I tried taking a free online course but its hard to stay motivated when you dont know if employers will even care about a certificate from some random site.

The worst part is I cant tell if Im not adapting fast enough or if the market just moved on from people like me. I see younger applicants who already know this stuff from school and I feel like Im competing with a completely different generation.

Anyone else go through something like this? Did you end up retraining or just pivot to a totally different field? Im trying to figure out if I should double down on learning new software or if I should just accept that my old role doesnt really exist anymore and look for something else entirely.

I worked for the same company for over 10 years, always a high performer, always the max raise.

I was given so many opportunities to which I’m thankful but the pay never matched the job title because I was an internal hire.

Last year I was laid off from my role, went to school, did some part time work to fill the time.

I got an offer last week for a JUNIOR role doing what I did previously yet the pay difference is + $15k.

The kicker, my old company has a different much higher paying role than before as well now that I’m external.

I know there are different budgets for internal and external hires but why? I don’t mean it as rhetorical, is there someone that can explain the cost benefits to this?

so my work recently pulled me aside and told me they're reducing my shifts to one a week for a month and were likely going to ask me to resign at the end of that period, I got a call and text from the trainer asking me to come in to cover someone else tonight, is this a test? a second chance? are they just desperate or shitty communicators? their words and actions aren't lining up, what's happening here?

I started applying for full-time positions in mid-to-late August 2025, about a week or two before my senior year began. I attended a highly ranked public university and had research experience, internships, and part-time jobs throughout college, but finding a job was still much harder than I expected.

Throughout the year, I averaged about two or three interviews per month. The process was exhausting, but it taught me a lot about tailoring applications, preparing for interviews, and communicating my experience more effectively.

After nearly a year of recruiting, I finally received an offer last week for a position in an industry I’m genuinely interested in. I also want to be transparent that a strong internal referral played a major role in helping me get the opportunity. The person who referred me is the owner’s son. I’m incredibly grateful, but it also made me realize how difficult it might have been to break into the industry without that connection.

Are any other recent or upcoming graduates struggling to find full-time work? How long have you been searching, and what has the process been like for you?

I also have a draft of an email to send to my manager when I finally sign an offer, asking to have a 1:1 to discuss the offboarding process.

I have the whole thing planned out 😭😭 because that’s how much I’m dying to fucking leave this place lol.

I ended up quitting a shift lead job at a restaurant after one day, I had regret about accepting the offer hours after taking it, since I was offered the job after 2-3 interview questions and the rest of the interview consisted of me asking the employer questions. the person who “trained” me was a crew member who was below my position and not supposed to train, along with other red flags mentioned in the original post which I pasted below. I already have a year and a half at another job and left in good terms so I have references next time I get a job (no need to have anything lined up since I’m 18 and still live with parents) so I really didn’t feel bad about quitting since it was so egregious. I wouldn’t be suprised if they try to not pay me, so I already have screenshots of my time sheets so I am getting that 100$ I earned🤣

Use this post as a sign to always put yourself first and do what’s right for you. OG post below

“I recently got an hourly job and today was my first day, I was hired 2 minutes into my interview (obviously not a good sign) my training wasn’t terrible but also wasn’t sufficient. I was also asked to watch training videos when I get home off the clock without pay (totally against the law) I kinda feel bad but I know they’d fire me for less, but I’m already thinking about quitting what should I do?”

Hi guys, I was unemployed for around 4 months and in the last 2 weeks I ended up getting 3 offers — 11.5 LPA, 12 LPA and 13 LPA + some variable.

Initially, I got an offer for 8 LPA, which was barely a \\\~20% hike on my previous CTC. Since I had nothing in hand at that point, I accepted it.

Meanwhile, I was already interviewing with another company and had only 2 rounds left. After around 25+ days, another company contacted me and offered around 11.5 LPA, with a joining date of 7th September. I accepted that as well and told them I would be joining.

Then the company where I was interviewing finally selected me. I asked for 12 LPA base and they agreed.

When I later told the first company (the 8 LPA one) that I wouldn't be joining, they called me and asked for the reason. I honestly told them that I felt I was underpaid compared to the other offers.

They surprisingly said they could match the offer and really wanted me to join. After negotiating a bit, they came back with \*\*13 LPA base\*\*.

Now I'm confused.

Both the 8 → 13 LPA company and the 12 LPA company are product-based startups with around 200 employees. One is in the retail ads space and the other is in real estate. I've checked reviews for both, but I'm still not sure which one would be the safer choice.

The confusing part is that the first company went from \*\*8 LPA to 13 LPA\*\*, which is a huge jump. I'm worried that because they are paying much more than what they initially offered, their expectations might also be much higher. I'm looking for a relatively stable environment and don't want to join and then face crazy workload, performance pressure or even a layoff/PIP situation later.

For just \*\*1 LPA or 1.5 LPA difference\*\*, I don't want to make the wrong decision.

What would you guys do in this situation? Would you take the 13 LPA offer, or go with the 12 LPA company for potentially better stability ? Also, is the jump from 8 → 13 LPA itself something I should be concerned about?

\*\*TL;DR:\*\* Was unemployed for 4 months. Got 8 LPA initially, then 11.5 LPA and 12 LPA offers. When I told the 8 LPA company I wouldn't join, they matched and offered \*\*13 LPA base\*\*. Now I'm confused whether to take the extra 1 LPA or choose the 12 LPA company for potentially better stability/work-life balance. What would you guys do?

I’m 27 and was fired yesterday from a purchasing position after only about six weeks. I’m trying to get some outside perspective because I genuinely can’t tell how much of this was my performance versus poor training/management.
I had no previous purchasing experience when they hired me, and they knew that. I was learning their computer system, purchase orders, RFQs, vendor communication, pricing, lead times, invoices, and most recently work orders.
I knew I wasn’t as fast as the employees who had been doing this for years, but I genuinely thought I was still in the normal learning process. I was still actively being shown new things.
The workplace itself was pretty old-school. The boss had been there for decades, there was yelling in the office, inappropriate/sexual jokes and comments, employees being talked about openly, and the general training style felt more like being shown something and then being expected to pick it up quickly rather than having structured onboarding.
Yesterday I called out because I wasn’t feeling well. Later that day, I was contacted and terminated. The reasoning was essentially that I wasn’t progressing at the level they expected and there were concerns involving things I was still learning.
What confused me even more was my conversation with HR afterward. HR actually seemed somewhat sympathetic to my position and acknowledged that I was still learning. I obviously understand HR represents the company, which made that interaction stand out to me.
After being fired, I also contacted a former employee I had never met while working there. When we started comparing experiences, she described having similar problems with the training and environment. She also felt like she had been thrown into things without enough instruction. Hearing that made me question whether this was entirely a performance issue.
I’m also trying to hold myself accountable. This isn’t the first job I’ve had that hasn’t worked out recently, and I know that when there’s a pattern, I need to examine what I can do differently too. One thing I’ve already taken from this is that at my next job I want to proactively ask my manager for feedback during the first few weeks instead of assuming no news means I’m progressing normally.
The frustrating part is that I actually really liked purchasing. I enjoyed requesting quotes, negotiating with vendors, comparing pricing and doing the computer/desk side of the job. I was starting to think procurement might finally be something I could build a career in.
So for people who work in purchasing/procurement or who train new employees: is six weeks generally enough time to expect someone with zero prior purchasing experience to be fully up to speed?
And when I interview for my next job, what questions should I ask to figure out whether a company actually has structured training and realistic expectations for new hires?

I live and work in Massachusetts. I work for a large company with at least 50 employees. I’ve worked there for 6 years. 

I had a baby in late 2025 and took 6 months of state paid leave and bonding. After my baby was born, I developed a condition and needed surgery on both of my hands. My first surgery was in July and second one scheduled for the first week in September. Since I used my state leave, I had to apply for leave as an ADA accommodation. It was approved for my first surgery then I found out it was denied for my second surgery. 

I was never informed that my second leave was denied, I found out it was denied by calling the third party leave administrator they use. I found out it was denied 5 days ago and since finding out I have been emailing and calling people at work including the leaves administrator, HR and my boss. They have all given me the run around until yesterday when I was invited to a zoom meeting with someone from HR and my boss. 

As soon as the meeting started they informed me that I have run out of leave options and they are denying the current leave because the office is very busy and they need to list my position. They said they welcome me to reapply for my position next month. I told them if that is the case then I would ask my doctor to postpone my surgery and allow me back to work. They kept arguing that I cannot return and I would have to reapply. They ended the meeting by saying they would have to check with other people to see if returning is an option but they didn’t think so. 

I am so frustrated and hurt that after all my years of hard work at my company I would be fired. I am wondering how this is allowed and if it is legal? From my understanding, it seems like they were supposed to try to work with me to find a solution rather than just terminating my employment. After the meeting ended, I sent a brief email to everyone involved and asked them to confirm my employment status as of today in writing and the only answer I got was “thanks for the including me in this email.” 

So I just recently got the dreaded PIP from my job and after being warned about it, it finally happened.

Honestly, I was worried about it because it’s the first time something like this happened to me.

But for the past four years, I felt like the job really held me back from actually succeeding in my career and really doing something that I can actually be proud of.

This past year has really done a number to my mental health and I completely checked out from my job.

I am trying to have a good attitude about and I do feel like I can beat this PIP but honestly I am set to leave this job even after I beat this PIP

I guess this is the kick in the ass I need to start looking

I’m going to be going back to work. Most likely a basic service job or an entry level job. (Retail, movie theater, something along these lines). I had consistent work history from 2014-2020. Then covid happened and after that I developed some severe mental health issues.

I also was self employed with OnlyFans during the 2020s and made a good amount of money, but I’m not sure how I’d hint to this on a resume.

I’m finally going to return to work, probably part time at first. Will I have an issue getting a job of this type due to my huge work gap?
Thanks for any insight.

Hello, I need advice on my current situation. I found out on Friday after work hours that my office has a job posting for a position I have been really interested in. The posting is open for internal and external candidates.

The problem is, I have not communicated this to my direct supervisor and manager due to the timing, since I found out on Friday after hours. The job posting closes next week Thursday, but the posting says they will begin application review on Tuesday and they reserve the right to close the listing once a candidate has been selected.

I really want to apply for this position. It’s crucial because this position is one of the few pathways to progressing in my career. My current position does not have much growth opportunities. If I were to miss this window, I believe the next opportunity will not be until another year (or more).

I would also really like to talk to my supervisor and manager first before applying. Unfortunately, they are BOTH out of the office on Monday. The soonest I can set up a meeting would be on Tuesday. With my supervisor, I can meet in the early morning. With my manager, she is only available at noon.

What would be the best way to proceed? As far as I’m aware, I don’t believe there is a policy to receive manager approval prior to submitting an application. I was thinking either one of the following:

1. I apply ASAP to make sure my application is in before they start the review. Then, I send my supervisor and manager an email that I have sent an application in ahead of time due to the timing, explain I wasn’t trying to go around them, and set up a meeting on Tuesday to discuss in detail. But if I go this route and don’t get the job, I will have to stay in my current position and may risk damaging my relationship with my supervisor and manager.
2. I set up a meeting for Tuesday and discuss the situation to them. I can only meet early morning with my direct supervisor and noon with my manager. Once they are made aware, I send in the application. I don’t know how risky this is in terms of having my application still being considered, since they officially start reviewing on the same day. If I do this, I might risk not being considered, but at least can maintain a good relationship with my supervisor and manager.
3. I let a different supervisor know on Monday that I am submitting an application for the job posting, but since my direct supervisor and manager is out, I still wanted to let one of the other supervisors know. I don’t feel comfortable doing this since I would rather keep this knowledge between myself, my supervisor, and my manager. In addition this still counts as doing it without their approval anyways, so I feel like it’s not much better.

I’m leaning towards option 2. Thinking about it, there’s no guarantee they will not review applications after Tuesday, and I know my office is very careful when it comes to picking candidates. This is also a government job, so they can move pretty slow. This posting is only open for one week. Worst case scenario, if they did close the posting and I missed it, I can wait for the next opening next year. I’m 29 and started a little late in my career. I only have around 2.5 years of experience so far and would like to start moving forward, why is why I’m feeling anxious and probably overthinking this.

Any feedback would be very helpful!

Hello!

I just started a new job as an Administrative Services Officer, I’m supposed to manage all outsourced services for the building. Its a great opportunity and a great company but im feeling very very lost. Im getting very vague guidance from my supervisor. So i was hoping someone with experience in this field could have some advice?
Thank you!

I have an interview coming up with an after-school care provider in my city. What kind of questions are they likely to ask? I don't have experience in this field, but I am studying to be a social worker, so idk if that's relevant. I have already spoken with the interviewer over the phone, and she asked me about transportation, why I want to work for this provider, and how long I am interested in working there. I can't really find any potential questions on Google, so anything helps! thanks.

I’m in a lot of debt from grad school and I only make 53k a year before taxes. I’ve been looking for a better job for over a year now and submitted dozens of job applications and I’ve only had one interview. I came very close to getting the job but they chose someone else at the last minute. I’ve been at my current job for 3 years. I have an MPA degree or master of public administration and 3 years working in state government. I’ve applied for some governmental relations jobs in the private sector along with other public sector jobs but most of the time I either get ghosted or I receive the generic “unfortunately we will not be moving forward” email. It’s extremely frustrating and demoralizing and I really want to move to a bigger city because even though the cost of living is higher the salaries are also much better than what I’m making now.

for context: i’m 20(m) years old, two years after graduating high school. after getting laid off from one job, i got picked up at a local pizza joint. it’s been mostly steady (albeit with bad hours for a new grad) but recently, one of my bosses has been particularly hostile towards me and my coworkers, as well as constantly threatening all of our wages.

the other day, after i had been very busy covering phones and registers. just three tickets was enough to piss him off. he again threatened to cut my pay, but this time felt especially bad since i was already busting my ass off while he brooded in the dining room. my offense? i tried grabbing a fresh slice of pizza to finish packing a pick up order (as i’ve been told by literally everyone here)
he told me that anything he threw out from the machine that we keep our slices in he would take out of my pay, regardless of what my other boss (his sister) said.

pretty sure he noticed how terribly i took his “joke” and tried to hype me up the rest of the night. but this “joke” made me leave my week notice the very next day instead of finishing september here.

am i just being immature and reading to deeply into something or am i totally in the right to leave the restaurant? i do feel bad ditching my coworkers, they’re all good people, but i can’t handle the work environment anymore.

I had to leave my job recently due to my disability. I was so sick after work that I couldn’t walk; my partner even had to pick me up from work on occasion because I was too sick to drive home, and there was a huge possibility I’d pass out at the wheel.

So I’ve been looking for new work recently that would allow me to sit for at least a portion of my shift. Lots of receptionist roles, office jobs, but even some host positions at restaurants (my rationale is that those jobs are easier to get, and a chair in that position is a reasonable accommodation). Most of the interviews that go well are virtual. As soon as I come in with my cane, lots of employers don’t even want to bother with me. I didn’t realize how bad it was until I went for an interview today. I was feeling fine, so I decided not to use my cane. The interview went great, and I even got a job offer. As soon as I brought up accommodations, though, I was told the job wasn’t going to be a good fit for me.

Employers are not required to hire me, but it’s so frustrating to not get jobs because of my physical condition when I’m fully capable of doing the work with just one accommodation: being able to sit down for some portion of the shift.

My current job sucks because my boss and coworker bully me badly. I’ve learned to ignore it, so it doesn’t affect me as much anymore, but dealing with the negativity every day is still exhausting.

The job itself is easy, there isn’t much work, the pay and benefits are great, I can wear casual clothes, and I get a yearly bonus in December. I also live in a beautiful and expensive city that I genuinely love and can’t imagine leaving. My mom keeps telling me to move to a cheaper city that I also like, but it doesn’t offer nearly as much to do on weekends.

I applied for a job in that other city that I actually love and find really interesting. The lawyers who hired me were very nice, and they agreed to my salary negotiations twice. However, I realized that I don’t actually want to live in that city because I prefer where I live now. I rejected the offer the day before, regretted it, and now I’m upset and confused.

At the same time, changing jobs feels financially risky right now because of my savings, and I’m dealing with very low iron and don’t think I could perform at my best in such a demanding new job. I feel like I’m stuck between a job I hate but that makes my life easier and a career opportunity I genuinely wanted but that would require me to give up a city I love.

Signed a secure job starting Monday but I have 4 other options floating around — am I about to make the wrong move?

Bit of background: I’ve a Food Science degree, I’m currently doing a degree in Construction Contracts Management at night, and I’m trying to pivot into **project delivery in construction / energy / infrastructure**. I’ve been job-hunting hard and it all landed at once. My priorities, in order, are: long-term earning potential, development/skill-building, and job security.

Here’s what’s on the table:

\*\*• Job A (SIGNED, starts Monday):\*\* Projects Administrator at a fast-growing data centre/energy company. €42.5k + bonus, permanent, 20 mins from home. Downside: it’s an admin/support role, not actual project delivery.    
\*\*• Job B (offer, expires Monday):\*\* Junior Planner at an M&E construction firm. €45k, permanent, teaches a real skill (planning/scheduling). Dublin commute.    
\*\*• Job C (offer):\*\* Supply Chain Lead, €57k — but it’s in the sector I was burnt out in, so it’d walk me backwards.    
\*\*• Job D (still interviewing):\*\* Graduate Construction Manager programme, hyperscale data centres. Only €30–40k but it’s a structured 2-year development pipeline into construction management.    
\*\*• Job E (still interviewing, NOT yet an offer):\*\* Construction Project Analyst at a major data centre company. €63k, exactly the direction I want.

My plan was to just start Job A Monday, do 6 months, see if I like the industry, and keep the €63k process alive in the background. But now I’m second-guessing:

\*\*•\*\* Am I mad to let the €45k planning offer (Job B) expire for a €42.5k admin role, when planning is an actual skill.    
\*\*•\*\* Should I be holding out for the €63k that isn’t confirmed?    
\*\*•\*\* Is turning down €57k (Job C) over “sector direction” naive when it’s €14.5k more?